The article "Dumping Abbot Point dredge spoil on land won't save the reef" is about waste disposal taking place on land instead of in the sea because it is bad for the coral reefs. The Australian government made a new plan where to throw waste on land instead of sea. They try to keep the Great Barrier Reef off the World Heritage in Danger List because of decreased tourism rates that would be caused by the bad publicity. The previous government changed plan to know where to dump the trash on land instead of sea. 

 

Australia's biggest coal mine in the Galilee Basin could damage the Great Barrier Reef
They wanted to ship coal to from the Abbot Point to different places

Yet the tourism industry associated with the Great Barrier Reef employs some 65,000 people and generates close to $6 billion a year. Not to mention that the tourism industry would also lose many of it's tour guides and planners, if the plans are carried out. Meaning that even more people would lose their job. If all proposed projects in the Galilee Basin are approved, the Abbot Point Coal Port will see Australia export up to 2.64 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases a year, more than triple the amount of greenhouse gases it produces as a nation.

It will give Australia the dubious honour of becoming the second largest exporter of greenhouse gases after China. 

When thinking about the income that Australia could gain from exporting the coal, it isn't a sustainable income, meaning that when the coal runs out, so will their extra money. While the tourism industry already earns them 6 billion a year.

The construction of the coal ports is said to require employment of some 1,500 people, and produce another 300 ongoing jobs.

Yet the tourism industry associated with the Great Barrier Reef employs some 65,000 people and generates close to $6 billion a year.For making coal only a fief people are needed. It is crazy that Manny Manny jones are lost in tourism just to generate jobs in coal mining.  Even in future the income from the mining industry will be less than thy could earn in the tourism industry. 

Australia has no evidence of the negative social and health impacts mining has on its people. 

Such  evidence is available in a new report from the US. 

The relationship between the mining companies, the other local industries and the people in the towns is under pressure.  

But the seemingly indiscriminate granting of mining licences by the previous state government (and little abatement likely under the current government) has put a major strain on relations between the mining industry, other local industries and the citizenry.

With coal mining activity close to towns and farms in Australia it takes away the water supplies of the farmers. The local government has not been consulted about this. There are also long term concern for the damage of the environment. And then there’s health. Ongoing concerns and Manny health problems have been reported.there is no real evidence that these cause any health problems that are actually linked to coal mining in Australia. Health problems mentioned in other contries are lung cancer, chronic heart, increases in non-melanoma skin cancers, still births and miscarriages are also reported. Sold Australia be worried? The problem is that we don’t really know the effects the mining industry causes. There is no information available about the impact on Australia’s society, health and environment. Only if you have information at hand can you properly plan.